Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Last week we had another sewing meeting and everyone brought in their pages for the fabric journals they are making. Without exception they were lovely and we were all impressed with the progress made. One more journal session and then we will begin the angels/fairies for decorating the village hall.(The is long and narrow so I don't seem to have fitted us all in the photograph)

A few weeks ago I looked at Judy's blog at Judy's fabrications.She is amazingly talented and makes so many stunning things ,always beautiful and colourful.That visit I saw she had made some pretty Prayer Flags and though I knew of them I didn't know much so I read her blog with great interest .
I really wanted one of my own but thats not quite the point,you really need a few and then they are hung up outside until they disintergrate and the theme of each flag is dispersed on the wind all over the place.I think its a lovely thought. Then I picked up an old Cloth Paper Scissors magazine and opened it and there was an article on Prayer Flags.They can be quite simple or as complicated as you like.I made 4 in a day which for me is something because usually I agonise over every thing I do.When I have some more I will hang them in the wood.Should anyone like to make one and send it to me I would be delighted and they will join mine. I 'd send you a photograph of them. I'm also asking the sewing group and friends to make one.
The prayer Flag Project is a blog called theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com also take a look at Judy's blog and there is a site on Pinterest as well.

These are my 4 made so far, the photographs are all printed onto fabric so I could stich them on.
Making and hanging flags is away of speaking a thought or intention out loud.
I need to say that I learnt most of this from the article byJane lafazio in a 2012 Cloth Paper Scissors.

Sunday, 14 October 2012

Long before Tony went into hospital we had booked a few nights to stay in Paris,I had thought we wouldn't be able to go.It was decided the break would do him some good if we took it very easily,
went on the train, took a taxis everywhere, that he rested every afternoon. I did have a few misgivings but all went quite well. The hotel was excellent,provided us with an enormous breakfast
and an extremly comfortable room,was situated in the centre of Paris and we booked it months ago because they had a special offer!.

Our first place to visit was Monmatre Cemetary as it is featured in Tony's new novel and he wanted to check his facts. I was keen to see if there were any beautiful sculptures to be seen and interesting people's gravestones. We were surprised to see lots of cats every where,and then we bumped into a sweet, oldish man putting down food all over the place.He told us he fed at least 100 cats everyday!!
When I think what our cats cost us I was amazed. He didn't look well off but it was obvious that like us he loved cats and he said he spent all his spare money on them We gave him some money .and later wished it had been more.

They mostly ran away when we stopped to try and photo them except this one.It did look old and battered,poor thing.

On the second floor of the Musee D'Orcy, which was once a railway station, it still has the huge railway clock at one end. I went to the left and Tony to the right.I saw so many wonderful impressionist paintings and bought many postcards to remind myself of them.Tony wanted to see all the Art Nouveaux furniture that he loves.On the way back to the hotel we passed a shop called Maison de Poupee which translates as Doll's house and I had to stop and see if it was open.Sadly it wasn't so I just have the photo of the outside.

We saw many more things and will write about them another day along

with some photographs of some wonderful sculptures we saw at another cemetery.

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Tony is out of hospital and I am trying hard to keep him from doing anything much,something he finds very difficult.The nurse comes this morning so I have some time to write here.I didn't manage much sewing last week and was very grateful for all the help and support we received.Our mayor was wonderful,when I finally phoned him when no ambulance arrived he and his wife were here in minutes and he hurtled Tony to hospital straight away.His wife stayed a while with me which helped me feel calmer and I was able to ask her many questions as she had been a senior nurse before retirement.
I did make a front and inside the front page cover for an all (I hope )fabric journal.It took me ages to work out what I had to do ,I think I'm there now .

The very pink one is the cover, the paler one is the inside.
I have been kept very amused by the duck recently,he has become very bold and delights the village children.He also has taken to crossing the road to stand by the front door and unfortunately his three moorhen friends follow him. We don't have much traffic but the milk lorry rushes by several times a day and cars and tractors etc.I shoo him back and he is always most indignant.

The sun is shining and some new doll body fabric has arrived so there is lots to do!.